1972 Corvette Aftermarket Air Conditioning Install - Keeping Cool

Once the two initial holes are dilled, the hole is opened up to this size to make installing the A/C lines easier. Vintage Air includes the white plastic material to use on the sharp edges of the hole so they don’t wear into the A/C lines.

With the holes drilled, the accumulator/drier is bolted in place, then the A/C line from the drier to the condenser hooked up. Leave all the A/C lines loose for now so any adjustments for fit will be easier to make. The Vintage Air system uses a binary pressure cycling switch, so if your car has electric fans they will still only come on once the engine gets up to temperature, not when the A/C is on. Consider installing a tertiary switch if your car has electric fans.

For where the A/C lines run through the wheel well, this protective cover is screwed in place using supplied self tapping screws. This will keep rocks and any other road debris kicked up by the front tire from knocking a hole in the A/C lines.

The Vintage Air kit utilizes the factory defroster ducting, but modified as shown here to make space for the new Vintage Air unit. The duct is cut as shown using a provided template so there’s no guess work involved.

With the vent tube attachment in place on the factory defroster duct, it’s bolted back in place like it was before. The adapter uses clips to attach firmly in place.

Next, the vent tube adapters are screwed in place on the dash panel vents, so the hoses from the new system will hook into the factory vents for a clean look.

On the driver’s side, the gauge panel has to be pulled out so the ducting can be run from the driver’s side panel vent to the A/C unit, and the duct adapter installed. To remove the panel, the steering column must be lowered, but not removed.

To make sure the vent tubing stays in place when installed, a supplied screw is used to secure it to the vent. This also keeps the tube secure while routing the ducting through to the A/C unit.

The factory wiper switch mounts to the new center dash panel vent using this supplied bracket. The bracket also serves as a ground spot for the ground wire from the switch.

Back in the engine compartment, the firewall has to be modified to fit the new A/C unit. Vintage Air really helps installers out with the included templates that show where to cut, and where NOT to cut. Here you can see the amount of firewall that needs to be removed using a small saw or grinder. If your cut isn’t exactly perfect, use a small die grinder to make it work. Also wear a mask so you don’t breath in a bunch of fiberglass dust, not good for the lungs!

The new firewall block off plate has to have holes drilled for mounting. Because of the production variances of individual cars, these holes are left undrilled by Vintage Air so the installer can fit the panel to his own particular vehicle.

Here you can see the cut made on the firewall to clear the new A/C systems. Don’t worry if the hole isn’t perfectly shaped, it’ll all be covered up by the previous mentioned firewall panel.

Here’s the new, self contained Vintage Air A/C unit. The heater core, evaporator, duct controls, everything is contained in this one unit. The Vintage Air unit features a much bigger evaporator then the stock A/C system, again increasing cooling efficiency and capacity. The new unit also uses solenoid controlled duct flappers instead of the factory style vacuum controls, so operation is smoother, more reliable, and not affected by engine vacuum.

Before installation in the dash, this piece of included plastic is taped over the electric control solenoids for the vents. Because C3 Corvettes are known to leak around the windshields, Vintage Air recommends covering the solenoids so they don’t get wet and fail.

After covering the solenoids, all the attachment brackets are installed on the new unit, along with the Freon lines. Take care when installing the lines to make sure they’re tightened properly, and don’t have any nicks or punctures.

Now it’s time to install the controls for the new A/C system. The factory control panel has to be removed to get at the inner workings. The vent control knobs have a small screw that secures them in place, and they have to be loosed so the knobs can come off, otherwise the control unit can’t be removed.

Here’s the factory non-A/C climate controls. The Vintage Air controls look and work like the factory ones, but eliminate the vacuum control valves. The kit comes with a new control face for the panel too.

First, the factory control bracket has to be drilled so the new controller will mount up. Since the metal is thin and easily bent, use a good, flat surface to brace it against when drilling.

With the holes drilled, the new Vintage Air bracket is installed (black piece in middle) followed by the control arms that connect to the factory control wheels.

Next, the new control boards and their housings are installed. The two arms installed in the previous step attach to electronic sliders that send a corresponding signal back to the A/C unit controlling the vents, temperature, etc.

The car’s 37-year-old control face is replaced with a brand new A/C labeled one from Vintage Air. If you have a car that already has A/C, you won’t have to change the face.